Maldives to Issue Longline Fishing Licenses to Foreign Vessels

The Maldives Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources plans to issue longline fishing licenses, after five years. New guidelines have been drafted following a Cabinet decision, allowing longline fishing for yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna, and billfish in designated areas of the Maldives. Longline fishing permits will only be issued for areas beyond 100 miles from the Maldives' archipelagic baseline, where pole and line fishing is not commonly practiced. The Ministry clarified that longline fishing will be prohibited Northern atolls, south of Addu Atoll, as this area falls within Chagos territory. Longline fishing can be conducted in the high seas beyond 200 miles from the Maldives' exclusive economic zone.